Leveraging Philanthropy for Social Change with Jay and Shira Ruderman of the Ruderman Family Foundation

Jay Ruderman is the President at the Ruderman Family Foundation. He has focused his life's work on seeking social justice by advocating for people with disabilities worldwide. As President, Jay takes an ambitious approach to leading the foundation. Since then, it has become a national and international leader in inclusion and disability rights advocacy. 

Jay's emphasis on philanthropy has been instrumental in creating programs worldwide, raising awareness on social media, and making the foundation's most cited white paper. He has never shied away from controversy, consistently challenging Hollywood and those in power to push issues forward. 

Jay has previously worked as an Assistant District Attorney. He served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Funders Network and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. 

Shira Ruderman is the Executive Director of the Ruderman Family Foundation. She's a professional philanthropist and a social activist. She serves as a Board Member of various organizations and associations in Israel and the United States and is currently serving as Chairwoman of the Fulbright Foundation.

Shira works to generate momentum for an approach to philanthropy that believes in strategic giving involvement and social entrepreneurship.

In this episode…

Philanthropy is at the front and center of creating social change. But sometimes, change may seem distant despite your best efforts as a philanthropy professional. The pain point isn’t that philanthropy can’t make the impact you expect, but that you’re leaving out a crucial part of the process - the business change model. 

Today’s guests, Jay and Shira Ruderman, approach philanthropy using a combination of business and social change models. This approach has helped them articulate what change is and what it should look like. Through this process, Jay and Shira have been at the forefront of creating opportunities for people with disabilities across different sectors, including Hollywood. 

Find out how you too can leverage philanthropy for social change on this episode of the Philanthropy212 Podcast hosted by Penny Cowden. Penny talks with Jay and Shira Ruderman of the Ruderman Family Foundation to share their process of using philanthropy and advocacy to increase inclusion and create opportunities for people with disabilities. Tune in to get all the details.